After the death four years ago of city worker Shannon Helms, the city took stock of the safety of its workers out on the streets and made some changes.

On Monday, those changes might have prevented a couple of city workers from being seriously injured, or worse.

In Helms' case, he was doing some patching work on Broadway Boulevard, just south of Republic Avenue, when he was struck by a van -- a van that never slowed in the 40 mph zone before it slammed into Helms and then a dump truck.

Among the changes the city made was to start using shadow vehicles -- in this case, a pickup truck that places a physical barrier between workers and vehicles whizzing by.

This truck was also lit up like a Christmas tree. If you can't see one of these trucks, even from a long way off, you don't need to be driving.

On Monday, city workers Adam Hummel and Ron Noel had just gotten in the pickup -- on South Ninth Street near Belmont Boulevard -- when it was struck from behind by a car. Hummel wasn't injured, but Noel received treatment at the hospital.

Other changes instituted by the city included improvements in work site signs and upgrades to modern strobe lights and flashers, Mike Fraser, Salina's director of Public Works told Journal reporter Erin Mathews.

"We took a good look at our practice of work zone safety throughout the city," Fraser said.

The blow to the city truck Monday wasn't that hard. But the frightening part is that the brightly painted pickup, with its large, flashing arrows, could have been struck at all.

"If those crews would have been out there, the vehicle could have run right into them," Fraser said.

The city did the right thing in upgrading the safety of its workers.

It's up to the rest of us to pay attention, slow down and help safeguard lives.

-- Ben Wearing, Executive Editor

Member of the Editorial Board